Retake
by Lottiesnow15
Summary: What could have happened if things had gone a bit differently that fateful day. A look at what a few differences can make in a momentous day. Horrible summary but a much better story-line inside! R/R please!
1. Chapter 1

Retake.

If things had gone a bit differently that day, a look at what a few differences can make in a momentous day.

R/R please!

With the pod clutched to her chest, its silky petals pressed against her forearm anxiously urging her to run faster. Tara willed the plants around her to protect them. Most of the plants obeyed, but in the heat of the moment the air was filled with palatable fear and she heard the pitiful and regretful cries as they shrunk back in vain in a attempt to protect themselves from the hoard of vile creatures that rushed over them, trampling their delicate leaves and tinging their once vivid green stems brown with death, her connection with the plants enabled her to hear their shrieks of pain and pleas for help driving an invisible dagger of regret into her heart. Tara wanted to turn back to fight for her beloved plants and people until her last breath. But that would be counterproductive, she was near helpless in this situation and any action besides her current course would likely lead to the the destruction of the people she loved so dearly.

By the time she had reached the under-passing the screams of her plants, people her people and their attackers had blurred into a maddening buzz that was somehow more painful the screams alone and she felt herself growing weaker than she was earlier this morning. But she knew she wasn't the only one feeling that way, it was already going to be an emotionally fueled and draining day as the pod picking happened to coincide with a certain Boggan event, which is why Tara was so insistent on ignoring Ronin's advice she figured the early attacks were the Boggan's last hurrah so to speak before they were preoccupied with more pressing things for a while..

Now?

Tara couldn't fathom what Mandrake could possibly hope to achieve that was worth exhausting a third of his army and inconveniencing himself and his people greatly after all this was hardly a time for the Boggan's to be combative, they should be holed away preparing for to increase their hoard by three fold as they did every spring, Tara shuddered at the thought of _more_ Boggans, and Mandrake? He should be busy fussing over his son to compensate for his lack of a mate.

And yet here they were tearing apart her- their forest as much as it grated her nerves to think of it like that Tara realized there was a balance on earth, and decay was needed to keep the soil rich and fertile, but on the same token too much of Mandrake and his Boggans _"_ handiwork"could send the forest reeling out of control turning it into a barren wasteland that only God could fix.

In the end it was a lot like a bird molting, Tara had decided last fall when the Boggans had been increasingly mischievous due to the heavy rainfall, and were apparently rotting things for the sheer thrill of it and while the death of her plants were never pleasant it was necessary to replace the worn and broken with fresh and functional members ready and able to do their job to sustain the forest in their own way just like a bird needed new flight feathers every now and again the forest needed new plants and in the end her beloved plants life forces were never destroyed, they lived on, it was the empty husks that brought her to tears.

When she thought about his nature in that light, Tara almost found him bearable, because she recognized his role in the grand scheme of things even if her people couldn't, which is one of the reasons Tara would never pass laws that cracked down on the Boggans as hard as her advisors urged her to.

As for Boggan affairs she preferred to stay neutral, she had seen how negotiations between Queen Donna and Boggan King Markea and the hostilities and tragedies that always resulted from them. Tara wasn't ashamed to admit that after mentor had passed on and she renounced the title of princess she had never attended another negotiation with the Boggans again. Tara thought it would best if they both did their part for the forest without the others explicit intervention and her method had seemed to be working, up until now.

The Boggans behind her were shrieking wildly and letting their crude arrows fly in every direction rotting everything they pierced. Tara noted as she reached down and grazed one of the arrows encouraging a tiny sprout to rise up around it, the arrows never struck her once.

Tara had given them all she could think of, a whole section the forest to run rampant in, to rot at their pleasure, an island of solitude, their own little world, a place where Jinn where almost never seen, a country inside a country.

What more could they ask for?

She felt anger boiling in her stomach and shoving its way up to her thin fingertips, after all the lengths she had gone to, all the pardons she had issued. How could they do this to her, quickly she glanced over her shoulder, the Boggans were getting closer and their insistent snorts and screams became louder Tara rolled her eyes and with a sharp motion called the vines surrounding her them to forge a barrier between her and her pursuers.

They resisted her momentarily but sensing her rage consented and skillfully weaved a barrier that would off the Boggans for a few minutes anyway. In mere moments they would be clawing at the vines infecting the with rot until they were nothing but mush, it never ceased to confound her as she pondered how those creatures were able to create weapons that could rot on contact, maybe there was something else to it briefly she glanced down at her own hands thoughtfully.

The weak cry of pain reminded her this was no time to ponder others cultures and weapons and she felt an intense pang of regret a scream of frustration died in her throat, not because she was above it but because a second later there was a scream of terror and pain from the end of the tunnel she had made. Tara froze her confusion and anger replaced with cold fear as she realized who that scream belonged to.

A/N.

Hoped you enjoyed this one, I've been feeling a bit down lately and also, been really busy and time really flew by! But I'm here now and I'll be posting the other chapters soon.

Have a blessed day.

PS. Please tell me if you see any errors okay?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N.

I do wish there had been more interaction between the two...

* * *

"Marigold!" Tara exclaimed somehow finding it in her to sprint faster to the exit, light flooded her vision and she had to squint to see properly and focus on the small limp body in front of her and she found herself calling out to the girl again even though a voice in the back of her mind told her the girl wouldn't be responding.

Tara found herself staggering in the exit way unable to move pass the threshold as she stared at the girl's prone body her eyes blurred with tears, the pod pulsed against her chest in a comforting manner. Such a sweet child always ready to help even if it meant putting herself in danger for the sake of others. She would have made a great Leafwoman someday but looking at the girl, she was unsure if that would ever be possible. "Marigold." Tara heard herself whisper sadly not even thinking she should check if the girl was still breathing.

"Mari...Gold" A new voice took her off guard and shocked her into bolting up right and suddenly the exit and Marigold were blocked by a towering figure. "Is that her name?"

The pod contracted against her chest and Tara found herself unconsciously taking several steps backwards, before realizing what a mistake she had made. Tara could hear the Boggans scuffling behind around behind her snorting and whining, no doubt they had run into some of her men while breaking through those vines the fact that many of them survived made her flinch leafmen didn't just surrender especially when their monarch was in danger, closing her eyes Tara forced herself to focus on the situation at hand.

With at least twenty Boggans in back and their leader dangling in front of her from the tunnel gallows in a frighteningly bat-like manner she estimated her chance of escaping was around maybe, eh, negative one.

Without opening her eyes she directed her eyes downward and clutched the pod tighter, its warmth soothing her and she prayed that Ronin had made it out okay.

Lowering her head she wondered what Donna would do in a moment like this all while silently cursing the fact her mentor had left her so soon.

Finally she glared up Mandrake with a frostiness that could rival Ronin's in his darkest moods.

"What exactly do you want and what have you done to her?" Tara snapped motioning vaguely to where Marigold would be and hoping he didn't notice how her voice cracked at the end.

If he did he didn't show it, instead opting for a hurt demeanor that even the stomper man who liked to poke around their forest would recognize as fake.

"Terra, I expected better of you, is that really how you greet an old friend?" Crossing his arms he clucked at her in disappointment and for the first time she realized his hood was off. "Ronin really has worn off on you."

 _It's Tar ah, not Tear ah_

She bit back correcting his pronunciation of her name as she had a feeling he was doing it intentionally.

"Since when do _friends_ destroy their friends home as a housewarming gift." Tara shot back, taking a forceful step forward and feeling a bit more confident for strange reason."Now answer my question. Both of them."-

"Fine if you must be so blunt" Mandrake said, rolling his eyes and flapping a hand. "I suppose you want to skip the niceties, formalities, honorific-"

"Yes" Tara cut in quickly without thinking her irritation overriding her common sense, thankfully this only elicited another eye roll from Mandrake. "I do."

Without warning he dipped closer until they were almost eye level.

"Now you sound like you're saying wedding vows..." Mandrake drawled glancing down at her strangely, Tara quickly broke eye contact forcing herself to stare at the strange fluffy thing on his head, starting at the crown and disappearing down his neck like a short blue and black mane, how odd.

That was a feature she hadn't noticed on many Boggans, but back to the matter at hand.

"Get to the point."Only when she realized she had sounded harsher than intended did she add "Please" and instantly regretted it as Mandrake let out a loud laugh and she again searched for something to look at other than his face and she noticed with subdued interest he had ears that appeared to be much smaller, more translucent versions of his hood's ears down to the coloring and they twitched at every sound.

How annoying _that_ mustbe, Tara thought coldly, but inwardly she sighed as she realized how un-queenly and her face burned with embarrassment, then she became aware that Mandrake was talking.

"But the fun is only starting Tara lighten up." Mandrake stated with undisguised mirth Tara shot him a look which he ignored. "If you must know though-" he trailed off again making a noise similar to an angry squirrel, which was followed by a soft shuffling of feet as the Boggans behind her left or at least moved out of earshot. "I simply want to talk."

Once again Tara looked at him sharply this time out of confusion.

"Why- about what Mandrake?" She asked in disbelief, all this just to talk?

Yeah right.

He leaned forward again this time his nose bumped her's, Tara flinched but resisted the urge to run that would only end badly. Raising a clawed finger Mandrake gently poked it into the pod she was squeezing like her life depended on it.

"About this little...Thing, of yours."

"Hey!" Tara complained, she had no idea what effect he could have on the pod but she knew it wouldn't get her a nature bound heir, at least not one partial to the side she needed. Tara tried to yank away not realizing that Mandrake had managed to grab her other arm without her noticing until her she felt his claws break through her flesh and a searing pain raced through her arm into her shoulder.

Tears pricked her eyes for the second time that day and she whimpered in pain as the pain continued it's way through her body. Even Mandrake seemed concerned for a brief moment before quickly recomposing himself, he loosened his grip not enough for her to escape but just enough that his claws were not longer embedded in her arm.

"You'll be fine, you shouldn't even pass out. You're much larger than her." He mumbled seeming to be talking more to himself than her.

Even through her pain her curiosity was sparked. "Her?"

Mandrake looked at her for a moment a deep frown suddenly overtaking his visage, his ears twitched wildly and abruptly he released her arm, in a flash he was in her face again and something spongy pressed against her forehead a second later Mandrake was gone leaving Tara standing in the exit way watching bemusedly as a dark sticky substance slid down the bridge of her nose and onto the pod at the same time she noticed Marigold was gone and a soft flutter filled the air and she knew, her prayers had been answered and she bolted from the tunnel.

Ronin was alive and flying straight towards her, Tara was so excited she forgot about the sludge on her forehead until Ronin had finished assuring her Marigold was would be okay and was headed back to moonhaven with a recruit, he looked at her oddly and wiped at her forehead finger. "What is this stuff?" He asked, honestly Tara didn't have an answer so she shrugged and squeezed him tightly allowing a laugh of joy to escape her.

The pod expanded against her with apparent relief, this was shaping up to be a very interesting day indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Everything will be fine Dagda, I promise." Mandrake cooed soothingly as he tried in vain to comfort his son who cried in pain and fear.

"I don't w-want to die." Dagda managed weakly, looking up at his father with pleading eyes begging him to stop the invisible force that was pulling him deeper into the unknown, his vision was darkening around the edges, his father's voice was had gained a slight echo and Dagda himself shivered uncontrollably as his body tried to fight the rot that had invaded his bloodstream.

"You're not going to." Mandrake insisted firmly, but Dagda heard the fear in his voice and with resignation Dagda understood and breathed in deeply even though it hurt to do so.

"Will I wake back up?" Dagda asked, sagging back into his father's arms, he hoped his father understood what he meant, admittedly the concept of an afterlife wasn't something his father had discussed often, in Mandrake's eyes it didn't matter either way.

Dagda wasn't granted the pleasure of hearing his father's response because seconds later he learned the answer.

* * *

Mandrake worriedly regarded the limp form that hung limply in his arms it had stopped whimpering and shivering minutes ago.

In the distance, high pitched shrieks assured him his hoard was rapidly closing in, not that they would be any help to the object of his concern, nudging his son with a clawed hand he searched for signs of life, even though he already knew, Mandrake had _known_ the moment he reached his son's side, but he refused to believe it.

Death was no stranger to him day in and day out Mandrake watched its grim shadow descend on the forest, he had witnessed massacres, seen executions and over the years he had become very attuned to death's nature and laws, death respected neither commoner nor royalty. It ignored pleas and passed up all bargains, it made widows and left orphans in its wake. Death was a friendless mercenary and still it dined with thousands each day.

Yes, Mandrake knew a lot about death, yet as his denial shattered and realization sunk in, dread filled his stomach like fast falling stones.

His son was lying dead in clearing and for all his knowledge of death Mandrake couldn't begin to comprehend what had just unfolded before him, grabbing his son's hand he rolled it around his own gingerly finding himself both baffled and horrified at how lifeless Dagda's hand was, to Mandrake it was unfathomable that a mere thirty minutes ago his son had been fretting over the sheer number of the leafman army Dagda had been talking, breathing, smiling, _moving_.And now? He was as lifeless as the rat cloak he used to be so fond of, to Mandrake that shouldn't even be possible.

" _How?_ " That one word spoke volumes to his increasingly frantic state, Mandrake had risen from his spot on the ground and paced around his son's body, panic began to mingle with his dread and Mandrake resisted the strong urge to try some outlandish method to wake his son up.

 _He's dead, not sleep._

Mandrake stopped pacing abruptly as soon as the thought crossed his mind, with hesitation he glanced back down at his son again, sinking back down into the grass as grief and guilt joined his already raging emotions.

Sitting back in his original spot in the clearing Mandrake could only stare numbly at his son, in his youth Mandrake had experienced something similar and in those moments he had told himself nothing could hurt worse. He had been wrong.

* * *

Loud noises rang in her ears, fleeting strands of light danced teasingly over her eyes.

Tara floated listlessly in a dark, desolated place she couldn't tell whether her eyes were open or closed and if it weren't for her shallow but steady breaths she would have sworn she was trapped underwater. Every instinct in her body demanded she try and get out of this place, but she stayed eerily still because somehow Tara knew that was what she was supposed to do.

Wait.

And as her heart fluttered against her rib cage like a bird begging to be freed from its confines, Tare knew her wait was drawing to a close. Her heart soared to the point it felt like it would burst from her chest, finally the darkness began to shrink around her and she felt herself recoil in fear. Then she heard it two unmistakable voices Ronin, and Mandrake? It took her another moment to figure out they were fighting as she understood snippets of their conversation.

"Ronin?" She heard herself call out into the darkness. "Where are you?"

She heard a crunch followed by Ronin grunting in obvious pain, and Tara's heart beat just that much faster, she couldn't just sit there and listen to him die, there had to be something she could do. What were they fighting over anyway?

Her racing heart stopped in its tracks as she the days events from early flooded back to her, Boggans, Mandrake, Ronin, arrows.

Had she died? And where was the pod?

Frantically she felt around for the plant, then Tara remembered, she had given it to the young Stomper girl she had shrunken, Tara still wasn't sure how she had managed to pull that off, Tara's job was to grow things no shrink them, unless of course she had...No she was the Queen of life, growth the same Queen she had always sworn to herself to be, but none of that was important right now, as the Stomper girl's innocent curious face flashed into her mind, Tara winced and prayed she hadn't gotten the child killed, what had she been thinking? Bringing a child into a war zone? The thought of death instantly reminded her of Ronin who she knew for a fact was going to die if something wasn't done quickly.

Mandrake and Ronin had never gotten along, during Queen Donna's negotiations with Mandrake's father, Ronin had tagged along to further his training but mostly to act as the young princess's playmate, and Mandrake, while his father had vainly hoped to get on good terms with the Jinn through him, was much too morbid and far too much of a flirt to score any points with Ronin. But this time Tara, realized as more of the evenings events returned to her, it was personal it involved the death of a child and this time there wouldn't just be insults thinly veiled as playful banter tossed around, Mandrake wanted that pod and there would be bloodshed if he didn't get it.

"Ronin!" Though she still remained motionless her voice was louder and more desperate than ever. "Just give it to him!"

The fight wore on and Tara didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

"Ronin!" Tara was beginning to fear they couldn't hear her. " _Please._ "

Tara's breaths were no longer shallow and she was sure her heart was going to explode, but then suddenly Nod was there, he was speaking in a serious tone, Tara couldn't quite glean what he was saying expect for the word "Alone." Unfortunately that only seemed to infuriate Mandrake further, but on the bright side Nod wasn't alone the chances of fighting Mandrake off were high, it wouldn't be easy but highly possible. Tara drew a deep breath and held it beginning to count to five.

One. She could hear Ronin breathing, he was alive.

Two. Nod's speech was over he had drawn his sword and begun fighting.

Three. The dark had stopped wrapping around her and the thin rods of light were back and Tara began to relax.

Four. Mandrake was huffing, this was going to be hard for him, very hard. But not impossible, Tara reminded herself with slight worry, but with any luck the moon would be shining on the pod and their heir would be chosen. By her? Maybe not but whoever the new princess-Queen was Tara was sure she would be able to aid in pushing Mandrake back.

Tara didn't get to count to five, because as soon as finished her thought of her new heir Mandrake made the most disturbing sound, though she was sure none of her people had heard it before, it was one Tara had heard frequently in her youth before Queen Donna had insisted she stay outside the clearing with Ronin during negotiation meetings, it was a noise that even sent nearby Boggans scattering mostly because it preceded a blind rampage of terrifying proportions, similar to that of a rabid animal and anyone caught in the crossfire would end up severely injured at best.

Honestly Tara couldn't see Mandrake behaving like his father's delegates or even his father himself. (Who would often call this kind of behavior a rarity that almost never happened in a normal environment.) Mandrake had always struck her as calmer and more collected than them all, but the noise, that was like a frightening mixture of a vicious roar and a vibrating screech resounded in her ears and sent a tingling sensation through her scalp, she could only imagine what it must be like for her men at such a close range and Nod was going to start talking again, she just knew it.

Her heart went from cruising to trying to hammer its way out again in two seconds flat and she let out a wordless screech of her own. Her people were going to _die_ and she was going to hear every snap and tear along the way.

Tara barely noticed as the darkness began to encroach around her again she was too focused on the first crack and hoping it wasn't Nod he was so young and Ronin, oh Ronin. Tara for the first time that day wept, for Nod, for Ronin, for all her people and of course for the Stomper girl who's name she had yet to learn, if only she had listened to Ronin none of this would have happened. She had signed her people's death warrant the moment she had landed on the pond with her barrage, she deserved this Tara decided this was all her fault anyway. So why not be forced to listen to the fruits of her actions?

Resignation began to settle in her chest the same time a loud thud reached her followed by another crack and a blood chilling shriek of pain, for the first time the scent of blood filled the air and Tara realized she had been squeezing her eyes shut, hesitantly she pried them open and was shocked to find she was in her throne room, looking down she noticed not only was the once pristine floors stained with crimson blood but also the balls of light that had surrounded her before were merging quickly with her body. Tara didn't have time to ponder this as she quickly began to survey the carnage before her, scanning the area she covered her mouth at the sight of limp bodies sprawled across the tile but forced herself to look on and felt a great sense of relief when she saw that Nod and most of the Leafmen were still breathing.

"Tara?" A barely audible voice asked, looking to her left she saw Ronin who while battered and bruised didn't look like Mandrake had really gotten to him yet.

A smile graced her visage and she resisted the desire to run to him, now was not the time the pod needed to bloom.

Now.

* * *

A/N

Hi sorry for the late posting, but here it is!

I'm going to go back and fix the previous errors please tell me if you see any errors here though.


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